After 15 years of waxing my thighs, I’ve decided to go for laser. But I need some advice…
I’m extremely hairy, and I’ve noticed that pubic hairs have been slowly invading my upper thighs for the past 2 years. And I’m not talking about 2 inches below my “lady business”, I’m talking about mid thighs here.
It’s time to go to war!
Seriously, I try not to be so depressed over this, but it’s upsetting. I’m tired of waxing, I’m tired of calculating when I should do it in order to wear shorts on a specific day. I’m tired of being self-conscious about sex. I’m just plain tired of the total absence of spontaneity in my life.
So, has anybody here used laser on their thighs? I’m caucasian but I would guess I’m a type IV skin tone, and my hair is brown. My thighs are as hairy as my boyfriend’s (but he doesn’t know that, shhh), and although the hair is not terminal (except for the errant pubic hair), it’s definitely not light vellus. The hair isn’t really dark brown, but it’s brown. And VERY MUCH visible.
So, should I do it now that I finally have the money to do so? And right before summer, is it a good idea? I haven’t waxed in a looong while and haven’t sat in the sun yet.
Last question: should I get my hormones tested? I’ve always been very hairy but the spreading of the pubic hair is a new thing (I’m 31).
Read up on PCOS and see if you experience any other symptoms (irregular and/or painful periods, skin issues, etc). What other areas do you have excessive hair on?
You should get a spot test done to see if your hair is dark enough. It probably is. If you’re average caucasian, you may be a type III. What makes you think that you may be darker? Are you mixed with any other ethnicities? Do you tan very quickly?
You need to not have a tan every time you go in for treatment which will be once every 8-12 weeks. If you think you can keep that area out of the sun, you can start now.
It is far more common to have excess hair for genetic reasons than for PCOS. Or any endocrine disorder for that matter. If you have other symptoms such as irregular periods, changes in body size, changes in desires (food, sleep, sex, etc) that are not related to just being embarrassed, then by all means see a physician.
In the meantime, it is very common to have woman with pubic hair that extends down the thigh. We treat that area as part of a package, given that is it that common. It is just that most women don’t talk about it, and most guys don’t have a clue. Don’t let it stress you out. It’s normal. You will just have to deal with it. Luckily for you there are now choices such as electrolysis and laser.
lagirl:
-I have no other symptoms. I’ve always been hairy. Arms, legs, face, and I’m covered with vellus. Last time I checked, the only spot that was hairless was the palm of my hand.
-I tan very quickly and I can get very dark. My mother’s family was originally from Spain, so we have that mediterranean thing going on, dark hair, and etc.
-So that means no tan at all this summer?
sslhr:
Thank you. It’s always good to know that I’m not alone with that problem. I’m constantly looking at other women and I could swear I’m the only one on the planet who’s dealing with excessive hair! Grr!
If you’re going to start treatments, you’ll have the avoid tanning the area you’re treating. If you cannot do it in the summer, wait until you can to start treatments.
How much hair on your face? Is it all vellus or there is a lot of coarse hair too? If most of the hair is vellus, it’s probably just hereditary, especially if you don’t have any other symptoms sslhr mentioned
Vellus on my face, definitely, but a lot of it. I posted 2 weeks ago about electrolysis. I have sideburns and a beard pattern, mostly on my cheeks, but no noticeable mustache and no hair on my chin. I guess it’s hereditary. I’m just surprised by that pubic hair that grows on my thighs, because it’ far from the bikini line. It’s like patches of coarse hair, and it’s not really the bikini line that’s spreading.
I’m not a big fan of tanning, but I do get a tan very quickly when I’m outside. Plus, my skin stays dark for a while after summer. It’s such a puzzle, arghh!
Ok, I have a free consultation tomorrow and they will also do a free patch test. A friend of mine has been going to this clinic with many colleagues from work and they’re all very happy about the results.
On the phone, the lady said they use a Candela Alexandrite laser. What are your thoughts about it?
I’m nervous, but mostly because I haven’t waxed in months. I wonder what she’ll think when she sees my thighs, lol!
If it’s the Candela GentleLASE (Alexanderlite) that is one of, if not the best, Alexanderlite laser on the market, as long as used properly. Offering a free consultation and test patch also sounds good, but of course there’s nothing better then getting a consultation and seeing what they are like.
Don’t worry about the way your thighs looks hun, it’s laser hair removal, that’s what your there for
Oh, best for light skin? Hmmmm.
Well, we’ll see what she tells me tomorrow. My skin is pretty light now, but I doubt I can stay out of the sun all summer long.
As we discussed, if you cannot commit to keeping the area light throughout your treatments now, you should wait until you can if you want them best results.
Lasers for light skin are most powerful and thus produce the best results. If you’re going to be treating darker skin with a laser for darker skin, just be aware that you’ll be sacrificing effectiveness too.
This may be a dumb question, but if the hair is always darker than the skin, even when I have a tan, will it work? Or is the tan a problem because the dark skin will absorb the light as well?
The second one. Best results are achieved and the probability of burning is least when all of the laser energy is being attracted by the hair, not the surrounding skin.
The darker your skin, the more the laser will pick up on the pigment within it, regardless of whether the hair is darker. The same applies to tanned skin.
Hair is not a safety blanket when using laser, the laser light will target both skin and hair if inappropiate settings/lasers are used.
Thank you both for your help!
I’ll still go tomorrow to see what she has to offer and to talk about the possible results, but I’ll probably start in the fall and not this summer. I just can’t imagine not going for a swim.
I just came back from my free consultation! By the way, she did a patch test, and all I can say is after 15 years of waxing I thought I was a tough cookie, but OUCH! She told me she didn’t need me to shave before laser. Maybe that’s why it hurt like that?
So, we’re going to start in the Fall because right now I’m already too tanned and I’ve only been out in the sun once. She wrote down that she will probably charge $250 for approx. 1500 pulses, which should cover both thighs in one session. She will go all the way up to the bikini line. She said that after 6 or 7 sessions we will agree on another price if I need some touch-ups. SHe thinks I should have good results.
She was really nice and sweet and was recommended by a friend who got her bikini and underarms done. Her price seems fair, right? (by the way I’m in Canada)
You do need to shave the area prior to treatment in order for it to get the most effective treatment. If you don’t the hair above the surface will recieve a portion of the lasers energy, so les will be focused below the surface of the skin where it is needed. Secondly, if the hair is to long, when shot by the laser it can cause the skin to burn slightly/becoming irritated. I found with one of the lasers I was being treated with, even the smallest amount of hair could cause a lot of skin irritation (although this was with the Cynosure Elite, where as this is the GentleLASE).
And she charges by the number of pulses? This isn’t very common and in my personal opinion, I would be wary of such a clinic, especially taking into consideration that they have told you that you don’t need to shave the area. Of course the choice is up to you though. Where are you from? Is there any other practitioners you could have consultations with? Remember, shop around, I certainly wished I had done first time round.
I will definitely shave prior to laser. While asking about the possible results, I mentioned that I was anxious about shaving my thighs, because I’ve never shaved them (I wax). She told me that if I didn’t want to, that was fine. I guess she simply gave me the choice, because that friend who sees that woman has to shave prior to her treatments.
As for the pulses, as I understand it, she thought 1200 was enough for my thighs, so she said let’s say 1500 and I’ll use the remaining pulses for other areas. That mean $250 for one session. But she doesn’t usually charge by the pulse. At first, she told me it was $350 per session, but that she would lower her price since my friend is a good client. That’s when she came up with the pulse thing.
I’m in Montreal. I’ve checked other places, and either they were super expensive (the Epiderma clinics) or didn’t want to answer my questions and do a patch test. Since I’m starting in the Fall, I will keep investigating. At least I know people who went to that woman and who are really satisfied with their results. But thank you again for your advice! I’ll keep it in mind.
That’s sounds good Coralie. I guess I may have been reading to far into it.
I found a good trick to reducing the irritation I got when shaving a “fresh area” was to use trimmers (shortest setting or without the head, depending on whether this is an option) then shave a day or so later. Although of course this depends on the length of hair, mines were pretty long, 1 inch plus. So this may not apply to yourself or it may just be my skin being wierd as usual lol.
